But you should talk to your doctor if you have any of them so the cause can be found and treated. Screening can even prevent some colorectal cancers by finding and removing pre-cancerous growths called polyps.
If you have symptoms that might be caused by colorectal cancer or if a screening test shows something not normal, your doctor will want to do more testing to find the cause.
Your doctor will ask about your medical history to learn about possible risk factors , including check for symptoms and. It's important to know your family history. You might be able to have a virtual visit to talk with your doctor about symptoms or risk factors that might be worrying you. But, depending on your symptoms, your doctor might want you to schedule an in-person visit so you can be examined.
As part of a physical exam, your doctor will carefully feel your abdomen for masses or enlarged organs, and also examine the rest of your body. You may also have a digital rectal exam DRE. During this test, the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel for any abnormal areas.
Other tests, such as MRI scans, x-rays and blood tests may also be done to look at how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. If you have colon or rectal cancer, treatment depends on which type of cancer it is, how big it is, and whether it has spread. Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
Many people get more than one type of treatment. Here is a list of questions to ask your doctor that you can take with you. The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing. American Cancer Society news stories are copyrighted material and are not intended to be used as press releases.
For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy. Do I Have Colorectal Cancer? Signs, Symptoms and Work-Up. Written By: Medical Content Team. What are the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer? Your doctor may also want you to get more tests such as: Colonoscopy : A colonoscopy is a test where a thin tube with a light on the end is put through the anus, into the rectum and colon to look closely at the inside.
If colon cancer develops, many treatments are available to help control it, including surgery, radiation therapy and drug treatments, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Colon cancer is sometimes called colorectal cancer, which is a term that combines colon cancer and rectal cancer, which begins in the rectum. Many people with colon cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine.
Talk with your doctor about when to begin colon cancer screening. Guidelines generally recommend that colon cancer screenings begin around Your doctor may recommend more frequent or earlier screening if you have other risk factors, such as a family history of the disease. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
Sign up for free and receive the latest on colon cancer treatment, care and management. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.
You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You will receive the first colon cancer care journey message in your inbox shortly, which will include the latest treatment options, innovations and other information from our colon cancer experts. In general, colon cancer begins when healthy cells in the colon develop changes mutations in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains a set of instructions that tell a cell what to do. Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally.
But when a cell's DNA is damaged and becomes cancerous, cells continue to divide — even when new cells aren't needed. As the cells accumulate, they form a tumor. With time, the cancer cells can grow to invade and destroy normal tissue nearby. And cancerous cells can travel to other parts of the body to form deposits there metastasis. Doctors recommend that people with an average risk of colon cancer consider colon cancer screening around age But people with an increased risk, such as those with a family history of colon cancer, should consider screening sooner.
Several screening options exist — each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Talk about your options with your doctor, and together you can decide which tests are appropriate for you. You can take steps to reduce your risk of colon cancer by making changes in your everyday life. Take steps to:. Some medications have been found to reduce the risk of precancerous polyps or colon cancer. For instance, some evidence links a reduced risk of polyps and colon cancer to regular use of aspirin or aspirin-like drugs.
But it's not clear what dose and what length of time would be needed to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Taking aspirin daily has some risks, including gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. These options are generally reserved for people with a high risk of colon cancer. There isn't enough evidence to recommend these medications to people who have an average risk of colon cancer.
If you have an increased risk of colon cancer, discuss your risk factors with your doctor to determine whether preventive medications are safe for you. Colon cancer care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.
Overview Colon cancer Open pop-up dialog box Close. Colon cancer Colon cancer can occur in any part of the colon. Email address. Thank you for subscribing You will receive the first colon cancer care journey message in your inbox shortly, which will include the latest treatment options, innovations and other information from our colon cancer experts.
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